Tartan Fields

When one discusses golf in Dublin, Ohio, the conversation inevitably revolves around Jack Nicklaus, who both lives near and hosts the Memorial Tournament at his nearby Muirfield Village Golf Club. Seems a tad cheeky to invite another icon of the game to design a course in Jack’s backyard, no? Fortunately, Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer were legendarily affable, and so the latter’s work for Tartan Fields hardly created a stir in one of Ohio’s most golf-friendly neighborhoods.

Although Muirfield Village also offers a less challenging Country Club course (versus the Golf Club’s challenging reputation), the route at Tartan Fields may provide a better comparison point for those looking to get a sense of Dublin’s most established course. Consider the various creeks and ponds around the Tartan property, and how Palmer set greens alongside them in a method to daunt the daring. The architect was more sympathetic to higher-handicapped souls, however, so reaching those greens (and putting on them) is not so frightening for those playing a wise round.